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Windows 7: Un-explainable networking issues.

I am posting this message in the hope that a member on the site with qualifications in CNN Networking, will be kind enougth to help myself in obtaining an explanation to the following issues.
These ssues which I am encountering are with my homes broadband routers LAN setup. The routers has been configured to use its in-built dhcp function with-in the address range begining 192.168.1.1. and ending at 192.168.1.255.

Generally upon my devices establish a connection to the network there are assigned an appropriate I.P address with-in the configured range automaticaklly, as one would expect having carried out this router LAN configuration. However on occassion ( and occourring mainly upon my Iphones connection via Wi-Fi) the ip address being assigned to the device is showing as 169.254.80.242. Equally confusing is that the subnet mask associated to this issued I.P address does not correspond to those of my routers configurations. Changing from my configured subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 to the su7bnet mask of 255.255.0.0.

Similar un-explainable IP issues are also often occourring with-in my other devices setting when I am proceeding to connect them to my homes network. It would appear however that it is indeed the associated SSID of my homes router that is being connected to.
How and why thou therefore is the considerably different IP address of 169.254.80.242 being assisned to my connecting devices, as this is on a totally different network range than that configured to be used in my routers set-up.

ANY LIGHT which someone with knol;edge in this arae can shed to myself will be greatly appreciated.

169.254.x.x (mask 255.255.0.0) is an address that is automatically generated by a device when it has no network configuration and cannot get an answer from a DHCP service to get a configuration.

As to why it's happening here... not sure. Is the issue intermittent? (it sounds like it from your post)

I do know your DHCP range is not quite right, but whether your router compensates for that and does it right I can't say.

What IP address does the router itself have? That should not be included in the DHCP range, neither should 192.168.1.255 on mask 255.255.255.0 because that is the network's broadcast address. However I would be surprised if that is the cause of the issue in itself; the router should know not to give those addresses out anyway, and there are mechanisms in DHCP to detect duplicate IP addresses and prevent them.

Do you have any statically (manually) configured IP addresses on your network?

Hi Foxyrick,
I begin by thanking yourself for taking the timein responding to my issue being encountered. The information which you have provided helps some-what already...

This issue is some-what intermittent, in the sense that a short resoulution to the issues is temporaily achievable after re-booting the router back to its factory default status, then re-configuring the settings afterwards once again. But obviously this causes myself some inconvience and all then works fine for a couple of days afterwards at most. Then the same encountered issue begins to re-occour once again.
This I feel I should also mentions occurs on numerous different connecting devices. Whats even more confusing is that on occassion one device will establish a connection to the router without what would seem to be, any problems being encountered what so ever. Whilst a second different will then try to establish a connection, but its attempts will result in the issues previously stated being encountered.
But then if I then again try at a later tinme with the same device, it at that time may well establish connectivity successfully to the router, without any of its relavant networking setting modified by myself what so ever. Being honest with yourself Rick, its an on going nightmare.

My ISP, sky has provided to date 4 replacement routing devices in attempts to resolve this issue long term. All however to soon after there reciept, to begin encountering this same problem once again.

The Routers access ip is 192.168.1.1. So I would assume this is its own ip address which you requested.
I've decided to include the following relavant network specific information which I have obtained from the router also, In hope that it may further aid yourself in reaching a conclusion to the cause of these matters:

Also as you requested there are no devices configured to use proxy what so ever connecting to the router as far as I am aware.

Some thing is certainly not right however I am certain of, relating to these matters. I have a neighbour of a despicable nature, truely horrid, who hates myself. But is however highly qualified in the area of Networking.
In your opinion, could it be an indivitual remotely gaining access to this network and interfearing with its set-up, which is the under-lying cause to these issue's re-occourring.

Once again Rick, Thank You for your time given relating to this matter. It really is of sincerest appreciations.

P.S. I thought that CNN were the name used for gained credentials aquired in the area of networking. Maybe not then, lol....

First off, I advise editing and removing your "routers IP Address (Broadband Port)" from your post. It might tempt someone to try and connect to you. Maybe I'm paranoid... well, I am when it comes to security.

I am not familiar with Sky's router, but they all work pretty much the same. While there are settings you could do which could cause problems similar to what you describe, you would have to try very hard to do so and it's certainly beyond the basic settings. Provided that you are not deliberately setting things like MAC-address security or time-limited access rules (and you probably would not even know how to I guess), it should just work.

If someone else here wants to join in with more help specific to the router, please do... It might be possible to view (failed) connection attempts from your devices or other such things that might be diagnostic.

One thing I would try is setting your devices (iPhone etc) manually to a static IP address in the range. Use something in the middle-ish (e.g. 192.168.1.100, .101, etc) to avoid DHCP interference. Set the DNS from your post and the gateway on the devices is your router's 192.168.1.1 address. See if they connect to the router and work reliably (internet browsing etc) like that. If they do, then it's DHCP that;s the problem for some reason. If not...

The problem might be 'environmental', whether by deliberate interference or not. The intermittent nature suggests that it might be, although not exclusively. It is possible (even trivial to an 'expert') for your neighbour to deliberately interfere with your network without having to actually connect to it. I have an old piece of kit that has the specific ability to cause symptoms just like this for self-defence against unwanted access points in the area. It might not even be deliberate as much as just careless and/or selfish if, for instance, your neighbour runs a large number of access points and devices and basically floods the area with traffic.

I think it would be difficult to talk through the trouble-shooting process I would use for that. Much easier, if it's possible, would be for you to configure the router as normal at home, then take it to a friend's house somewhere else and try it there (best to unplug their wifi if they have it) . Your router should not need a phone line or internet connection to let your devices connect and get an IP address. If things work properly away from home (or not) then we have narrowed the problem down and can take it from there.

If you do want to check out the local wifi environment, there are network scanners for iPhones (e.g. Network Analyzer Lite) and Windows (e.g. Acrylic Wifi Free) etc. I don't use those, but such things are generally quite easy to at least get a display of the local devices. It can be quite surprising to see in some places!

Hi Paul,
When you rebooted/reset your >>Router<< did you go in and change its password, from Admin which is the standard default.??
Even if you rebooted then you should not have to reconfigure anything else, ie tower/laptop/printer,
Unless you changed its SSID(sky123456) and its associated password. YES you can change both.

On your mobile do you use the sky mobile App, or have you just left it as is, if so then thats why its picking up a different subnet for vodaphone/BT/Virgin etc.?

Basically when you first connect to a wifi network
The first device is given a IPV4 coding of 192 168 0 1, and everytime you add a device this goes up.
Anything other than theese mean someone has changed it.
see screenshot the laptop im using is the sixth device connected

Gateway and the DNS address's are the sky servers.

I would suggest that you make sure all drivers on your devices are upto date.

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